Out-of-school access for students and teachers

Your school’s wireless services reach beyond the school boundary, via equipment that a broadband provider installs at the school. Through a login, your students and staff access your network from anywhere, any time.

They can, for example, do homework and collaborate after hours. Schools nearby can overlap their networks too; your school authorises which content they have access to.

This service suits urban areas where the cost of broadband is too high for the student’s family. In remote or rural areas it’s unlikely to be useful because students and teachers are likely to live too far apart for the network to reach them.

Broadband access for the community

Your school shares the fibre connection with a broadband provider, a retail service provider (RSP) such as Spark NZ.

The RSP installs equipment at your school to transmit the signal to the community.

Through the shared fibre the RSP provides the local community access to commercial ultra-fast broadband.

If your school provides remote access via a login, you can provide this through the network.

This suits rural and remote areas where there’s no broadband service.

Do not compromise the school’s own internet

Becoming a digital hub must not compromise your school’s internet. Your school must have access to the full data capacity and speed that it requires. Your school’s cyber security and filtering must also not be compromised.

How to set up a 'digital hub'

The process is similar to setting up other kinds of 'third-party occupancy'.

1. Read the details of the policy on digital hubs

2. Get approval in principle

Talk to your local Ministry of Education office to seek approval in principle. Then complete an ‘Approval in principle’ form and a ‘Information required with application’ form in the 'Get approval for specific situations' section of: